South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The government has been asked to urgently take action to restore stability in Nasir County of Upper Nile State, following recent clashes between armed youth and the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF).
Maj. Gen. Yitayal Gelaw Bitew, Chairperson of Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) on Thursday raised concern over the brewing tension between the two sides in the area.
“CTSAMVM remains concerned about reports of tensions where clashes erupted between armed youth and SSPDF soldiers in Nasir County, and an SSPDF soldier was killed,” Gelaw said during the meeting of CTSAMVM technical committee in Juba.
He urged the government to investigate the circumstances beyond the recent dispute in Nasir County.
“This area has been a hot spot with several reported clashes. Urgent action needs to be taken to ensure a return to normalcy. CTSAMVM is yet to investigate the matter,” he said.
On 3 July 2024, armed youth and SSPDF soldiers clashed in Nasir County leaving one soldier killed and three civilians injured. The clashes displaced some 30,000 civilians from their homes.
The incident occurred following the June 20, 2024 shooting of an SSPDF soldier by a civilian in the town.
This incident marked the second wave of violence within Nasir, highlighting a troubling trend of deteriorating relations between the community and the military presence.
On 5 July, 2024, members of the national parliament urged the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Chol Thon Balok to restore peace in Nasir County of Upper Nile State.
